Better late than never: We asked 25 of the smartest people we know–game developers, critics, professors of theater and history, comedy writers, political journalists, podcasters–for their favorite video game of 2017, and got 20 answers.

Counting Chris and JJ, that’s 27 people and 20 video games (21 if you count an honorable mention).

Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Mario rose and dressed himself. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left his room looking like an immortal god.

Is the new “Zelda” being graded on a curve? Or is JJ playing it wrong? Can you even play it wrong? Does it matter that there isn’t much of a story? Will Chris ever stop bringing up “Horizon: Zero Dawn”?

We’ve explored Crew Quarters in Arkane’s still-terrific “Prey.” Chris has one quibble, but the spoilers wait until after he talks to Sofija Stefanovic, a Serbian-Australian-New-Yorker writer about her decreasingly quiet longing for a Nintendo Switch.